Abandoned
by AmazingLadar
Summary: A year after her death, Kathy stalks her best friend, only to find that she had been replaced.
1. Ally and Kathy

_**This is my first Ghost Whisperer fanfic so **__**please**__** have mercy on it.**_

_**Oh, and Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.**_

* * *

><p>"Hi Aiden" the giggling girls said as they passed him in the halls. He simply nodded at them.<p>

"Happy 16th birthday, Aiden" other giggling girls said. He thanked them. Aiden was just making his way down the hall until he noticed something that should be there.

He saw Kathy. She had died when she was 15. She still had the dirty clothes and the wounds she had then: a bloody shirt, pale face and a knife wound in her gut. This poor girl just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was a street fight and Kathy was just trying to get home. Instead, she got a knife in the gut and almost instantly died. But what was she doing here? Talking to her best friend, Ally.

Ally and Kathy were inseparable. They wouldn't do anything if the other didn't approve. They often stayed to themselves. Ever since Kathy died, Ally was lost. She didn't know where to go anymore or what to do. She was just there.

When Kathy had died, Melinda had warned Aiden that he might see her roaming around with Ally. But she never did. So _why_ is she here now?

"Ally! Ally, listen to me!" Kathy yelled. "Stop ignoring me! Ally! I've been dead for a year and suddenly we're not best friends anymore? I thought you'd be happy that I was back! You know, I'm used to people ignoring me. I get that on a daily basis. But how can _you_ ignore me?" Kathy looked around until she finally made eye contact with Aiden.

"_You!_" she pointed directly at him. "I know you! You were that boy! That dated Ally for a year, and then dumped her! You haven't changed a bit, you know. You're still a huge _jerk_! Eavesdropping on use like this! How _dare_ you!"

"Kathy, listen to me" he whispered, trying not to attract too much attention.

"Why are you speaking so low? You don't want the other kids to know you're talking to me?"

"Well, yes. Because you're dead. If they knew I was talking to you they'd think I'm crazy."

"What a load of bull! My little sister always talks to me. And so many other people always acknowledge me. So they can hear me and they can see me. So why are you acting like you _can't_?" The school bell rang and that meant it was time for class.

"Look, can we _please_ just talk about this after school." Kathy stared at him and finally agreed. Aidan ran to class, with Kathy on his mind at all times.

* * *

><p>"Alright, I'm here. Now what do you want to talk about?" Kathy asked.<p>

"Well, actually, I was going to ask you that..." Aidan said, trying to help her like his mother would.

"Excuse me? _You_ were the one that wanted to talk to me after school."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this. Let's just start with the basics..."

"Basics?"

"You know you're dead, right?" she laughed out loud.

"Of course I know that!"

"Okay... and you _do_ know that no one can actually see or hear you... right?" Kathy stared at him blankly. This she did not know.

"You're wrong. I've been talking to my little sister for the past year. She always defends me when my mother ignores me and she always comforts me when I'm having trouble. Plus, everyone always looks at me when I walk through town... plus, if that were the case you wouldn't be talking to me right now."

"How old is your sister?"

"Seven."

"Well, that would be why. Children can see ghosts. And I have a gift where I can see them too, very much like my mothers gift. Usually, ghosts would cross over when they die. I guess, there's something holding you back-"

"But what? What am I still doing here! When I died I expected to see a white light or a tunnel. But instead I saw my own dead body! So explain to me, what the hell am I still doing here and how do I get out? I'm sick and tired of watching everyone live their happy life and I don't like watching Ally cry herself to sleep at night anymore! So tell me Aidan, can you help me or am I wasting my time?"

"I... don't know..." Kathy turned around to leave but Aiden called out to her.

"Wait! I want to help you. I'm just not very experienced yet. But please, come with me back home and we can talk to my mom. She's very good at this kind of stuff."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because you're just like Ally. You're lost and scared. So _please_. Let me help you."


	2. Reasoning

**Sorry it's taken so long. I've been busy, But it's here now**

* * *

><p>"Hey, Aiden" Melinda called when Aiden the house.<p>

"Hey, mom" he responded.

"So who's your new ghost?" she asked. Aiden stared at his mom in amazement. 'I will never be as good at this as she is' he thought to himself.

"Mom, this is Kathy." Melinda stared at the ghost for the first time.

"Kathy? Ally's friend, Kathy?" Aiden nodded. "What are you still doing here?"

"Well, fine! If you don't want me, I'll go!" Kathy yelled.

"No no! I mean, do you _know_ what's keeping you here?"

"You're even worst than Aiden at this. I don't _know_ why I'm here!"

"Okay, then try to remember what happened once you died" Melinda said, trying to ignore her comment. Kathy stared at Melinda oddly. "You _do_ know you're um... dead, right?"

"Obviously!" she snapped. "I just... can't remember..."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you until you tell me something. Anything."

"She is spending a lot of time with Ally recently. I mean, I've never see her at school until today. She says she's been spending time with her sister" Aiden said.

"Well, maybe something happened with Ally that concerned Kathy-"

"How did I die?" Kathy suddenly asked. Aiden and Melinda exchanged glances before finally telling her. Kathy stared at the two of them for a while, then disappeared.

"Kathy! Kathy wait!" Aiden called after her.

"Aiden, don't worry. She'll come back" Melinda said

* * *

><p>"Aiden!" Kathy called.<p>

"Kathy! There you are, why did you run off?" Aiden exclaimed before realizing exactly where he was. He self consciously looked around as people stared at him. He smiled awkwardly before pulling Kathy aside.

"Aiden, I remember. I remember now" she said.

"Remember what, exactly?"

"How I died, what happened once I died. Why I'm still here. Everything. I remember everything!"

"That's great! Do tell!"

"It's Ally. It's all Ally. It's her fault."


	3. This is How I Died

"Kathy, Katie! Hurry up!" Ally yelled. She was almost running, trying her best to make it in time for the concert. Katie was catching up to her, but unfortunately I couldn't. You see, Ally had convinced me to wear high heels for the night. She said together we'd dress overly formal as a joke. It was supposed to be funny. So I was dressed in a short dress, high heals, hair done up nicely. I met Ally and Katie up at the pub. Katie takes one look at me and bursts out laughing. She asked me if I knew that we were just going to a concert. Ally laughed with her, completely forgetting that _she_ was the one to convince me to dress that way. Completely forgetting that she was supposed to dress up as well.

Eventually my heel broke and I lost Ally and Katie. I decided to stop trying to keep up with them and just try to get there. I finally arrived at the concert and wasn't allowed in. Why? Because Ally had my ticket. So I was forced to wait for five hours for the concert to end because neither Ally or Katie would answer their phones and come rescue me. Finally the concert ended and Ally and Katie exited the hall laughing together. They took one look at me and automatically laughed.

"Sorry, man! We lost you on our way here!"

"Have you ever heard of this magical thing called _checking your phone_?" I asked furiously

"Kathy, chill! It's just a concert. We didn't mean to leave you out" Ally said.

"It was _five hours_!" I yelled.

"Hey, chill, Kathy. Just chill" Katie tried to hand me a rolled up joint. I smacked her hand away and she dropped it.

"You freaking idiot!" she yelled. "that costs good money!"

"So did my ticket! To a concert that I never got to go to! Now do me a favour, will you? Leave me an Ally alone! Come on, Ally. Let's go." I turned around to leave, expecting Ally to be by my side and support me, like I had done countless times for her. But she didn't. When I heard the lack of footsteps I turned around and saw her looking down. "Ally?"

"Sorry, but... Kathy you're being mean. I mean, I know you're angry, but I think you should apologize."

"I will _not_ apologize! I'm leaving. With or without you. I don't care anymore!" I turned around and stomped away. I expected her to run after me after she realized how serious I was. But she didn't.

It took me a couple blocks to realize that. When I did, I burst into tears. I dragged my feet just trying to get home. And then it happened.

I was passing a pub and there was a lot of shoving. I heard chairs scraping the ground and glass breaking. Obviously, I tried to avoid it. I crossed the street. But, little did I know, those men weren't fighting. No, they were just drunk. They saw me, short dress, in high heels, crying my eyes out. I was already in distress. I was the perfect victim. They walked towards me. Once I realized what they were thinking about, I tried to run. I tried to get away from them. But they caught up to me. They shoved me around and started calling me names.

I'm not sure what happened next. I think one of the men had a glass shard from one of the broken bottles. All I remember is that I was shoved into him and all of a sudden I was in enormous pain. I couldn't breathe and I could hear the men around me gasp as they realized what had happened. I clutched my stomach, trying to find where things went wrong. Immediately my hands were full of blood. I fell to the ground. All the men ran away. I was left there to bleed. I was left there alone.

I was left there to die.


	4. In Denial

It had been three days since Aidan had seen Kathy. It had been three days since Aiden was told what happened to her. He had spoken to Melinda about it. She simply told him to wait a couple days, that things would work out in the end. Of course they hadn't yet.

After Kathy had explained what happened, Aiden was speechless. Literally. He didn't say a word. He just stared at her with his mouth wide open. After a couple of minutes, Kathy left. Aiden hadn't seen her since.

At school he often thought about talking to Ally. But he never did. The reason? In all the time he had known Kathy and Ally he never once heard of another girl named Katie. Also, Kathy said she had died in a short dress. With her hair done up nicely and high heels on. However, Aiden saw a girl with her hair down, an old shirt and sweats and she's barefoot. He wanted to confront her about it. To talk about her suspicions.

He asked Melinda what she thought. She told him that maybe she had gotten her facts wrong. She must still be confused about her death. Within a couple days, everything would make sense. He spent days working out some of the details that didn't make sense, but he couldn't.

Finally, she showed up.

"Hey there" she said. Aiden jumped out of his seat and stared at her

"_Finally!_" he exclaimed. "I need to talk to you!"

"About what?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't think I like how you're talking to me" Kathy said, and she left.

"No! Kathy! Come back! I'm sorry!" He looked at the door and sighed. He turned around and jumped again when he saw Kathy on his bed.

"Okay, I'm back. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Dammit, Kathy! Stop popping up like that! You're scaring the crap out of me!" she raised her eyebrows at him. "Sorry. You just scared me... that's all."

"I got that. Now, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Um... well... about some of the details in your story you told me..."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"No! I do! In... some aspects..."

"What's wrong?"

"Well... you said you were all dressed up... why aren't you dressed up now then?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, when you die, your spirit is just like you. In every aspect. What you wear, how you look. So if you were dressed up, why aren't you dressed up now?" Kathy stared at Aiden.

"I don't know... I never thought about that..."

"And another thing, who's Katie? How come I never heard of her?"

"Katie is a friend Ally met in a dance competition. I never liked her. I thought she was replacing me."

"Replacing you? How?"

"Well, firstly, Kathy... Katie... same difference! The names are exactly the same!"

"No, I mean, how could she replace you... don't you have to leave for that to happen?"

"Well, yes. I was leaving. I was going to a boarding school. Didn't you know that? The concert was supposed to be our last night together before I left."

"Oh my God... I'm so sorry..." she just shrugged. Aiden immediately remembered how Ally didn't seem that affected by the news of her best firends death. He assumed it was denial, but maybe Kathy was being replaced. Of course, he would never tell Kathy that.

"Ok... what about your clothes?"

"Why don't you ask Ally? Or Katie? I told you everything I know. Now go on. Figure it out."

"It doesn't work like that."

"Well then please, elaborate." Aiden hesitated.

"Look, can you please just try to remember more. Try to remember what happened after the bar fight, try to remember what it is that attracted you to Ally again after a whole year. Please, just _try_ to remember. I'll talk to Ally and Katie. I'll do my part, but you have to do yours."

"I can do that." And just like that, she was gone. Aiden sighed and went to bed.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ally" Aiden called. He tried to calmly and normally lean against her locker. "How's it going?"<p>

"Um... fine. Why you asking?" she stared at him while putting one of her books away.

"Just wondering."

"Great." A long awkward moment of silent passed.

"Look, I'll be honest with you now, I want to talk to you about Kathy and Katie." Ally's head snapped up. She pushed Aiden against the lockers, dropping all her books.

"How do you know about Katie? What do you want to know about Kathy? What do you _want_ from me?"

"I want to know how Kathy died!"

"It was a horrible accident, okay? It was just a bar fight. She was just an unfortunate girl who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. You know the story just as well as I do, Aiden. Why are you asking me?"

"Because I know you were there when she died" he whispered. "I know that you two were supposed to see a concert together. I know that was her last day she was going to be able to spend with you. I know she ended up missing the concert. And I know she showed up in a fancy dress but died in sweats and an old shit. And I want to know how and _why_."

Ally stared at Aiden for a long time. Finally, she stopped staring and picked up her books to put in her locker.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know you very well, Ally. I especially know when you're lying. So why don't you just introduce me to Kathy and we can all have a nice little chat."

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

"I'm trying to find out the truth."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. Ally, come on. Just help me. Don't you care about Kathy? Don't you want to know what _really _happened to her? You saw her just minutes before her death. Aren't you even a _bit_ curious as to what happened after she left you and Kathy at the concert?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I never went to any concert. And I _know_ how she died. It was just an unfortunate bar fight. Accept that, Aiden!"

"Why are you pushing that story so much? You _know_ it's not true!"

"Shut up, Aiden! Just shut up! SHUT UP!" Everyone in the hallway stopped and stared at them. Ally slammed her locker shut and walked away. Aiden couldn't do anything but stare at Ally as she walked away.

* * *

><p>"AIDEN!" Kathy called.<p>

"Kathy! Stop popping up! I already told you that. And it's THREE IN THE MORNING! Don't bother me!" he exclaimed as he tried to pull the blankets over his head. Kathy threw the blankets to the other side of the room.

"You listen to me, Aiden Gordon! Ally needs you! She'll _die_ if you don't save her!"


	5. Kathy's Best Friend

**_Warning: some strong language and talk of suicide. Nothing major, but just a warning._**

* * *

><p>Aiden turned into the street he knew so well and parked his car in the driveway he had been in so many times. He left the car door open and engine running. He ran down Ally's driveway and rang the door bell.<p>

"Don't waste your time being _formal_!" Kathy yelled. "BUST DOWN THE DOOR!"

He twisted the door handle and tried to push and pull the door but it wouldn't budge. He stared at Kathy for a while. Then he started to throw himself at the door. Finally it broke down. Kathy immediately disappeared and reappeared at the top of the stairs.

"COME ON!" she yelled and disappeared again. He ran up the stairs ignoring the burglar alarm. At the top of the stairs he found Kathy waiting for him outside one of the closed rooms. A door behind Aiden opened and Ally's parents came out.

"What the hell are you doing?" the father asked. Aiden turned around and stared at the father.

"AIDEN!" Kathy yelled. He turned back to the room and tried to open it. Just like the front door, he had to break it down. Once they were in Ally's room he turned on the lights. Ally's father finally caught up with Aiden and started to lecture him about breaking and entering. That was when he gasped.

Aiden turned around to see Ally on top of her blankets, sound asleep holding an empty container of sleeping pills.

* * *

><p>The police had arrived at the same time as the ambulance. The police were interrogating Aiden while Ally and her parents drove off in the ambulance. They asked him the usual questions. What was he doing in Ally's house? Why didn't he call the police? How did he know Ally was in trouble? Then, after they interrogated him, they took down his details, called Melinda and Sam (although, Melinda and Aiden always referred to him as Jim). When his parents finally came they talked to the police. After a conversation that mostly consisted of yelling his parents approached him and told him to get in the car. The car ride was quiet. Finally, Aiden spoke.<p>

"So... what did the police say?" he asked. Melinda glanced at Jim.

"They want to charge you with breaking and entering" she said. Aiden's jaw opened wide.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"Aiden, calm down-"

"No! That's completely unfair! If it weren't for me, they never would have found out about Ally- OH MY GOD! ALLY! We have to check up on her! We have to go to the hospital!"

"Well, where do you think we're going?" Melinda asked.

Aiden looked out the window and saw the familiar street leading to the hospital that his father worked at. He didn't even wait for the car to stop before running out. He talked to the receptionist, trying to get Ally's room number, but he got no information. Melinda and Jim ran in after a couple minutes. Jim simply had to mention his name and before they knew it, they were on their way to her room.

Aiden looked through Ally's window and saw a doctor in there. He waited for the doctor to come out before entering.

"How is she?" Aiden asked.

"She'll be alright. I have to say, you got some great timing. Any longer and I'm not sure if she'd be okay" the doctor said. Aiden ran into the room to sit by Ally's side. When he walked in he jumped back in shock to see Kathy sitting by her bed. She looked up at Aiden with red eyes.

"Hey" Aiden said.

"Will she be okay?" Kathy asked. "I keep asking the doctor but I get no reply. All I can do is hope. Is she okay?" Aiden smiled.

"She'll be just fine." Kathy burst into a new wave of tears. She held onto Ally's hand and her body shook as she cried. Aiden walked up to her and sat down beside her.

"Hey, come on. She'll be alright. There's no need to cry."

"If she had died" she said between sobs. "My last thought of her would have been a negative one. She may have killed me, but she's my best friend. And I love her as if she were my sister. If anything happened to her I don't know what I'd do. What kills me is that she probably never even _knew_ just how much she meant to me. You will tell her, right? You'll tell her everything, right?" Aiden stared at her.

"Are you leaving?" he asked.

"I don't think so. But I can't exactly tell her myself, can I?" he nodded. A long moment of awkward silence passed before they spoke again.

"You know her parents are pressing charges against me" Aiden said.

"What?"

"Yeah."

"But... why? You saved her life!" Aiden shrugged. "Ugh. Her parents were always just the biggest assholes." Aiden smiled at her. The two of them continued to talk about unrelated things for a few hours until Aiden's parents pulled him away. Kathy, of course, stayed behind to watch over her friend.

* * *

><p>Ally's eyes fluttered opened. She looked around to see where she was and groaned. She had thought that this time she would wake up and see Kathy by her side. She had dreamt about her every night for the past year. It was her fault. It was her fault she died. If she had only walked with her. If only she had stayed by her side. If only she had been a better friend.<p>

The night Kathy died was the one and only time Ally had sided with Katie. She didn't know why she did it. She didn't know why she had been such an awful friend. All she knew was that of all the horrible things she had done in her life, that one night ranked at the top of her 'Things I Regret the Most in my Life' list. Ever since that night, there wasn't one hour in the day that she didn't think about Kathy. Ever since that night, there was not one time that she didn't cry herself to sleep. Ever since that night, she hated herself.

* * *

><p>"Hey" Aiden said as he walked into Ally's hospital room. "How are you feeling?" Ally just glared at Aiden. "What's wrong with you? I mean, I know you're confused but it's been a week now. What do you have against me?"<p>

"What do you expect me to say?" she snapped.

"How about a thanks? I mean, I did save your life."

"Oh, yeah, great. Thanks. My _hero_! What ever would I do without you?" she said sarcastically.

"What is with you? Why are so against being helped?"

"Because I didn't want it! I didn't want to stuck in a hospital room on suicide watch! Here's some tips for you: the next time you see someone passed out with an empty bottle of sleeping pills, maybe she _wants_ to be dead! Ever think of that?"

"Do you think Kathy would like it? To see her best friend kill herself?" this shut her up for a moment.

"I doubt she consider me a friend anymore."

"Tell her, Aiden. Tell her now" Kathy whispered.

"She was there. The day you tried to kill yourself" Aiden blurted out. Ally stared at him.

"What?" it was too late to turn back.

"That's how I knew you were in trouble. She came to me and I went to you. Then she told me that the thought that upset her the most was that her last thought of you would be a bad one. That you would never know how much you meant to her. She called you her sister." Ally stared at him, almost disgusted.

"One step too far, Aiden..." Kathy said.

"What?"

"Okay, so, assuming that believe you – which I don't – Why would she have a bad thought about me?" Ally asked.

"Um... well... she felt that you were replacing her with Katie" Aiden said, constantly clanking at Kathy.

"What?" Ally screamed. "That is NOT true! Don't you start this again! I've always treated them the same! I love them both as sisters! The only difference is that Kathy was such a clingy little girl, she couldn't handle that for once, she was _not_ the centre of attention-"

"That is such a lie!" Kathy yelled. And just like that, their simultaneous accusations began.

"The concert was originally supposed to be just me and Katie, but no! Kathy started freaking out, saying that I was being a bitch on her last day so she made me buy her an extra ticket for her-"

"The concert was a treat from me to her but she wanted Katie to come as well, so I had to pay more so that her 'Best friend' could come with her or else I would be alone and I didn't want that to be without her on my last day-"

"-she never wanted me hanging out with Katie-"

"-she always left me so that she could be with Katie-"

"-never left me alone-"

"-only cared about herself-"

"-clingy-

"-self centred-"

"It was all her, so don't you dare start accusing me!" they both yelled at the same time. Aiden stared at them for another moment.

"And another thing-" they both yelled, but Aiden never heard the end of that sentence. Once they started again, he passed out.


	6. This is Katie

Aiden woke up in the waiting room of the hospital. Melinda was by his side and looked at him when she noticed him moving and getting up. Aiden remembered where he was and quickly jumped to his feet. Almost immediately he stumbled backwards feeling light headed.

"Hey, relax, Aiden" Melinda said calmly. Aiden groaned.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing really to worry about. Kathy let her emotions get the better of her and you got the full blow of it. It can be quite overwhelming. Don't worry, you'll get used to it with experience."

Aiden tried to jump up again but Melinda held him down.

"You need some rest, Aiden." He reluctantly sat back down and waited.

* * *

><p>Kathy waited for hours. She had expected that Aiden would be home. She had searched the entire hospital from top to bottom but wasn't able to find him. She started pacing Aiden's room back and forth, biting her nails.<p>

"Jim! I'm home!" Melinda called. Kathy ran to the stairs, expecting the mamma's boy to be walking behind.

"So Aiden finally decided to come home- nope. Guess not" Jim said.

"He refused to. Nearly caused a huge scene."

"He... did?" Melinda nodded. "This must really mean a lot to him" he said.

"I guess it does."

"I swear, Ally looks so familiar..."

"Aiden used to date her."

"That's right! When was that, last year? What happened between them?" Kathy leaned over the railing of the stairs, finally hearing something worth her time.

"Oh now _that's _a complicated story. Ally broke up with him. He told me that she said that... Katie said that Kathy was jealous of her. Katie said that Kathy was so alone and was feeling like she was being replaced because of her boyfriend. So Ally broke up with Aiden. She then told Kathy that he broke up with her."

"But in reality-"

"They both really liked each other. Whether or not they still do, I'm not sure." Suddenly, the mirror between Jim and Melinda practically exploded. Jim held Melinda as more glass objects around them exploded. Melinda frantically looked around and saw Kathy at the top of the stairs.

"That _bitch_!" Kathy yelled. "She was plotting this _entire_ time! Trying to separate us!"

"Kathy, please. Let me help-"

"Back off!" Kathy yelled. "Oh, Katie messed with the _wrong person_!"

"Don't get angry-"

"Stay out of it!" Kathy yelled and disappeared. Melinda stared at Jim. She quickly grabbed her car keys and the two of them ran to the car.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ally" Aiden said. He was standing at the doorway of her door, hoping to make peace.<p>

"Hey" Ally replied calmly. "Sorry about earlier. Kathy is... kind of a delicate subject with me."

"Don't worry about it." Ally gestured to the seat beside her and Aiden happily took it. A long moment of silence passed before Ally asked the question that had been bugging her ever since she heard Aiden said the words.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked.

"'Course you can."

"Will you answer truthfully?"

"You can always ask and find out." Ally laughed. When they were good friends it was what they always said to each other.

"You said you saw Kathy... but... she's dead... you couldn't have seen Kathy..."

"Your question?"

"Well... how?" Aiden sighed.

"My mom... well, she has this gift... she can talk to the dead. Or, 'Earth Bound Spirits' as my mother would always say. And, the thing is, her mother could talk to the dead as well. So could her mother... and her mother... so basically, it runs in the family. I have this... gift... as well." Ally just stared. She stared for a good minute until she finally just burst out laughing.

"Oh, you're just have a laugh!" and she laughed some more. "Oh... no you're serious... oh..." she said as she finally took in Aiden's straight face.

"Okay, how am I supposed to know you're telling the truth?"

"Well, don't I already know so much more than you though I knew? Like the fact that you were there when she died and I know about Katie and please, _please_ don't start a fight right now. There's no point in lying, I know all this is true." Ally shut her mouth, pretending she wasn't about to argue with him.

"Okay, fine. Yes. I was there."

"Can I ask _you_ a question?"

"Sure."

"Will you answer truthfully?" she smiled at him.

"You can ask and find out." He smiled back at her.

"Why did you side with Katie that night? Why did you let Kathy walk away like that?" Ally stared at him for a long time.

"I don't know" she said. "I was so afraid of being hurt by Kathy. She was leaving. I was going to lose my best friend. Instead of trying to spend my last moments with her... I... pushed her away. I thought that way, when she left, we both wouldn't hurt as much. Oh, but I was just _stupid_! I didn't realize how much I was hurting her. I didn't realize how much I was hurting myself. And now I can never tell her how sorry I am!" she burst into tears. "She probably hates me. And, truth is, I deserve it. I was awful to her. I kept pushing her aside for Katie- I don't even _like_ Katie that much!" another wave of tears went through her and Aiden quickly went to comfort her.

"Oh, Ally" he was stroking her arm and she just pushed him away. "Ally, come on-"

"Told you she was replacing me" Kathy said. Aiden used every ounce of will power not to turn to look at her. Ally didn't need this at the moment. "Aiden, I need to talk to you. I understand why you won't talk to me here right now, but I _really_ need to talk to you-"

"ALLY!" a girl came running into the hospital room. Aiden quickly turned around to see this girl in a pink leotard run in. She had blonde hair and green eyes. She had eyeliner on, white tights on, a frilly ballet skirt and her hair was done up tightly in a bun. She still had her ballet shoes on and was carrying her gym bag with her. "Oh, Ally! Your mom called my mom last week. I was out of town for the dance competition so I couldn't come earlier! I'm so _glad_ you're okay!" she screamed. She pushed Aiden out of the way and started hugging Ally. "You're crying, why are you crying? Oh my God... are you okay? I've been worried SICK!" Aiden stood next to Kathy.

"So..." he said softly to Kathy. "Am I to assume that this is-"

"Katie" Kathy finished his sentence for him. "Yes. This is Katie."


	7. Aiden in Danger

Aiden sat in the corner of the hospital room. Ally had almost completely forgotten about his presence. She had spent her entire time talking to Katie, laughing and discussing their important dance competition. Kathy would appear every now and then, but would leave as soon as she saw that Katie and Ally were still talking. She appeared once again and stared at Aiden.

"Are you planning on _ever_ talking to her?" Kathy asked.

"Who?" Aiden whispered.

"Katie! Ally! Both! You said you'd help me, now do it!" Kathy yelled. Aiden's eyes shifted from between the two girls and Kathy.

"What? Now?"

"YES NOW!"

"Hey, Katie. I have a question for you" Aiden blurted out.

"Um... we're kinda in the middle of a conversation here" Katie said. She turned to look at Ally. "_Rude_ much!"

"Go on!" Kathy yelled.

"have you been to any concerts lately?" Kathy smacked her forehead.

"Pathetic..." she muttered.

"Um... no..." Katie said.

"What would you say was your last concert?" Katie shrugged.

"Just this English band Ally's friend Kathy knew about, may she rest in peace."

"Cool. When did you go?"

"Last year... like I said..."

"But when?"

"October... I think..."

"That's odd. Didn't Kathy die around October... last year?" Kathy looked up.

"This could be interesting" she said to Aiden.

"I'm... not getting where you're going with this..." Katie said.

"He knows..." Ally said quietly.

"Knows what?" Katie asked.

"That you were the last people she saw before she died. At this concert." Katie glared at Ally.

"We _swore_ we wouldn't talk about that!" she yelled. "It looks sketchy!"

"I didn't tell him! He just knew!" Ally said.

Just then, Melinda and Jim burst through the door. Aiden stared at them in complete embarrassment. He was in the middle of discovering something great, and now his embarrassing parents were there to collect him. They told him that he had to return home that instant. Aiden, not wanting to cause a scene or further embarrass himself, agreed. He walked out of the hospital room and followed his parents to the front of the hospital Melinda stopped and stared out into the distance. Kathy was there, looking at Aiden. Aiden looked to where Melinda looked and saw his new friend staring at him. Aiden looked at Melinda with pleading eyes and she reluctantly let him stay.

"We'll wait for you at home" Melinda said.

"Thank you!" Aiden said as he turned to run to Ally's room.

"Aiden!" Jim called out. Aiden quickly turned. "Why don't you let the two girls talk together alone for a while, alright?" Aiden looked at Melinda for a second opinion. She simply nodded in agreement. Slightly less enthusiastic, Aiden ran off to wait for Katie to leave.

* * *

><p>After Aiden left the room, there was an awkward silence all around them. They hadn't spoken for a good two minutes. They just stared at each other, reliving the day Kathy died in their own heads.<p>

"We have to talk to someone about this" Ally said at last.

"No! They'll think we killed her!" Katie shrieked.

"But... we did..." Katie stared at her. "If you think about it. We let her go off on her own. We watched her walk away. That's as good as killing her! It's our fault, it's all our fault!" Ally said, nearly in tears.

"It is not our fault! She was just unlucky! Please, Ally. I hate to see you beat yourself up over something that you had absolutely nothing to do with."

Ally simply looked at her friend. No matter what words Katie would through at her, it would never change the fact that the reason Kathy is dead is because she sided with her dance friend. All because of a stupid mistake she made, the biggest mistake she made.

They sat together in silence for an hour. Ally's parents had walked in and asked Katie to go so Ally could get her rest. Katie agreed and left the room. As she was leaving, she ran into Aiden waiting patiently in the waiting room.

"Oh, good! You're done! I wanted to talk to Ally, is she okay?" he asked her.

"Oh, yeah. She's fine. Her parents just, you know, kicked me out" she chuckled.

"Oh... I guess I'll just call my parents then..."

"Actually, I'm quite glad I caught you. I wanted to talk to you. About... well... the concert. And... Kathy. Her death and... all that..."

"Oh, yeah. Here, take a seat." Aiden sat back down waiting for Katie to join her.

"Well, I also really need to get home. It's not that far away from here. I could drive you home afterwards, if you like."

"Alright. That works."

"Aiden..." Kathy said quietly. "Aiden, please don't go..."

"Great. Follow me" Katie said.

"Aiden, no! She can't be trusted!"

"Is your car parked in the hospital?"

"I couldn't find a parking space. It's just a bit down the road."

"Stop ignoring me, Aiden! I need to talk to you! It's really important! _Please_ Aiden!"

"Ah. Well, do you mind" Aiden pointed towards the males bathroom.

"Oh, yeah, go for it. I'll just bring the car up front."

Aiden and Kathy walked as quickly as possible to the bathroom. Kathy tapped her foot impatiently and waited for Aiden to lock all the doors.

"Okay, make this quick" Aiden.

"I can't 'make this quick'! I have _lots_ to tell you! I've remembered something else! You _can't_ go with her, Aiden. She can't be trusted. She's just awful. _Please _believe-"

"Kathy! Would you just _stop_! Not every single person is against you! Now, can you please just let me try to find out what happened to you?"

"But-"

"You're just paranoid! From what I've seen of Katie so far, she seems like the nicest girl. Just... leave me alone. For ten minutes, can you manage that?" Aiden stared at Kathy for a couple more seconds before unlocking the door and meeting Katie at the front of the building.

* * *

><p>Kathy waited in the room she found so familiar, pacing it. She couldn't sit still but she couldn't do anything productive. She had tried searching for her, but that didn't work well. The only thing she <em>could<em> do was wait. Finally, the sound of a key in a lock echoed throughout the house. Kathy stood staring at the door, waiting for Melinda to come home. The door swung open and Melinda and Jim walked in, laughing together.

"Oh!" Melinda said. She looked at Jim. "We have company." Jim nodded.

"I'll just wait in the kitchen then" He said as he walked right through Kathy.

"What can I do for you, Kathy?" Melinda asked. Kathy never was able to understand the kindness of the Gordon family. Even though she had acted so rudely, they still treated her as an honoured guest.

"I'm so sorry, Melinda" Kathy said. "I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"What... who are you talking about?" she asked, though she feared she already knew the answer.

"Aiden. He went home with Katie. I'm so sorry. I tried to warn him. And now he's in terrible danger."


	8. Truth About Katie

Aiden followed Katie up the stairs into her flat. It was a one room apartment with wallpapers that were ripping. It was, in the end, just a giant mess. Clothes, shoes, bags... everything was on the floor. And she didn't seem to care. Aiden struggled to find a seat that didn't have some sort of mess on it.

"Do you want anything" Katie asked making her way to the buried kitchen.

"No... I'm fine" he said. At this point, he only wanted to get his information and then leave.

"Suit yourself" Katie said. She put on the kettle and got out bread and jam.

"So... where are your parents?" he asked.

"I don't know. They kicked me out of the house for smoking. So I dropped out of school, went into the dancing business and here we are."

"... Didn't you say that your mom had told you about Ally?"

"That, my dear boy, was a clever lie. Ally's too naive to realize anything about me and for the first time ever I'm treated normally. I don't intend to lose that, so I let her believe that everything's alright with me."

"Oh... that's nice... I suppose..." Katie moved to face Aiden as she spread the jam on her bread with a steak knife. "So, anyways, I wanted to talk to you about Kathy."

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Well... what happened to her?" Katie blinked twice at him.

"I thought you knew. She died in a bar fight. Quite unlucky. Just, walked by and got caught up in it-"

"No. I mean, what _really_ happened? I know a lot more than you think I do."

"Dazzle me."

"I know you all went to a concert together before. You and Ally arrived in casual clothes while Kathy was dressed up in a dress and all that. She then died in sweats and an old shirt."

"Hmm... yes that's all true" her grip on the knife had tightened. "but _how_ do you know all this?"

"I'm... sorry?" he asked suddenly aware that all of Kathy's warnings were true. Kathy lifted her knife and pointed it at Aiden.

"_How _do you _know_ all this?"

"Okay, I think I'm going to go now" Aiden stood up and tried to make his way to the door. Katie threw her knife at Aiden which just barely missed his face and stuck to the wall behind him.

"DAMMIT!" Aiden yelled.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?" She yelled picking up another steak knife.

"What are you on about?" he yelled.

"How did you know about the concert? About the change of clothes? How did you _know_ I was with her at that bar?" Aiden stared at her for a while. Why hadn't he listened to Kathy? This is what she was trying to tell him! This is what she was warning him about!

"You are PSYCHO!" Katie threw her new knife at Aiden. He tried to doge out of the way but wasn't successful. It hit him in his shoulder and he yelled out in pain.

"DAMMIT! What the hell is wrong with you?" he quickly pulled out the knife and yelled out in pain once again. Aiden twisted the doorknob of the front door while Katie picked up her last knife.

"Did you really think I'd let you leave that easily? You know too much! I especially can't let you go telling this to Ally!"

"Unlock the door, Katie!"

"We were _alone_ at the bar! We were_ alone _at home! There is no _possible _way you could know!

"Katie, God dammit, UNLOCK THE DOOR! You _know_ you can't keep me here forever! People are going to find out!"

"Not really" Katie walked closer to Aiden while he simply wished he could run away. "Ally thought you left an hour ago. Everybody thinks you are at home. _No _one knows you're here!"

"Aiden" Kathy whispered. "Help is on the way. Just stay safe for a bit longer."

"Let's just say that this secret will die with you." Katie lunged at Aiden. He quickly moved out of the way narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Why did you kill her?" Aiden asked, trying to keep Katie distracted.

"Stop talking and keep still. It makes things easier."

"KATIE!" people yelled from outside the door. "We know you're in there with Aiden. Open the door!" Jim yelled. Aiden looked up, relieved to be freed from the psychopath. Katie took this opportunity to attack again.

Aiden didn't have the energy to yell in pain any more. He just fell over and groaned in pain. The door was knocked in and Jim, Melinda, Eli and his police officer friends ran in. Melinda and Jim ran to Aiden while Katie was put under arrest. Then, Aiden past out.


	9. Ally and Kathy Talk

Aiden had his own hospital room and was wrapped and stitched up. He was stilled out cold on the bed but Melinda was just glad he was alive. She stood with Jim in the doorway, watching they're only child. Jim held Melinda and stared as well, knowing that all he could do was stare.

"How did it come to this?" Melinda asked.

"We should just be glad that we got there in time" Jim said. Melinda nodded.

"Oh, I am."

"I'm glad it's over now."

"Let's just hope it doesn't happen again." Jim blinked twice then pulled away and stared at Melinda.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, you don't want him in the hospital again, do you?"

"No, obviously I don't. But that's just it. Do you honestly expect him to carry on with this, Melinda? He nearly _died_ because of this!"

"I know that. But it won't happen again. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all. You can't expect him to just turn down the people that ask for his help."

"Yes. I do. It's bad enough that I have to constantly worry about _you _being safe, I don't want to have to worry about my _son_ being safe as well! Especially now that I know what could really happen to him."

"He's not going to back down so easily. The odds of him actually listening to you and not helping people are slim to none."

"I don't care. It's not his choice anymore. Not when it involves his safety. I will _not _allow my son to do something that could kill him!"

"It's a _gift_ Jim" she said softly.

"I don't care what you call it. He's not doing it anymore. I want your ghosts to _leave him alone_." Melinda's eyes flickered to the corner of the room. "Kathy's here, isn't she?" Melinda slowly nodded. Jim looked in Melinda's direction.

"I know you can hear me, Kathy. I want you to stay away from Aiden" Jim said, still unsure whether he was actually talking to Kathy. But she was there. She turned to look at Melinda who wouldn't make eye contact with her. So she left. She decided to listen to Jim and go somewhere else. Go to someone who would actually be happy with her presence.

She went to Ally's room.

Of course, there was a slight problem. Now Kathy didn't have her translator. She couldn't actually talk to Ally. But oddly enough, she was just fine watching her. Ally was reading a new book. Kathy smiled and stood next to her, trying to read with her.

"What _are_ you reading?" Kathy asked. When Ally didn't respond Kathy was almost depressed as she remembered that she couldn't hear her. "I hate being here. Aiden once asked my if I saw the light. I don't understand why I don't see it anymore. Katie's behind bars, as she should be. We're best friends again. You know the truth about Katie... wait... you _do_ know about Katie... Right?" Ally didn't hear her. She just turned the page of her book.

"Ally! I wasn't done reading!" Kathy yelled and turned the page back. Ally stared at the book in amazement. Then she understood.

"Kathy? Are... are you there?" she asked.

"YES! YES I'M HERE!" Kathy yelled back. Ally didn't hear her. She just continued to search the emptiness.

"I'm probably just imagining things..." Ally said quietly to herself and continued to read.

"NO!" Kathy looked around the room. There must be some way to convincer that she was in the room. And there it was. Ally's phone was on the window sill. Kathy thought of the message she wanted to send. She really concentrated on it. Focused on sending it directly to her phone. And, soon enough, the phone buzzed. Ally looked towards the phone.

"Kathy?" she whispered. She hesitated for a little while then jumped out of bed and fumbled for her phone. She checked her messages and nearly cried when she saw those four words on her screen.

"New Message From Kathy" she read out loud then pushed the button to open the text. "I'm here." She whipped a tear away. "Oh Kathy. I've missed you so much!"

Kathy sent her another message.

"You need to get some rest. Lay down." Ally nodded and did as told. "So, how is it? Being dead?"

Kathy sent her another message.

"It sucks. I need a translator where ever I go" Ally laughed. Kathy smiled a big smile. She hadn't heard Ally laugh in a while. "What happened to you? I mean... was it _really_ a bar fight?"

New message.

"No." Ally looked up and stared at the emptiness. "Wow. What a great message that helped me understand everything."

New Message.

"It's complicated." She sighed. "What is this? A break up?"

Kathy sighed and stared at her best friend. She wasn't sure why no one told her the truth. She wasn't sure if she should tell her. Worst than that, she wasn't sure if Ally would believe her.

New Message.

"Would you believe me if I said Katie had a lot to do with it?" Ally debated for a bit. "Yes. I would."

So Kathy told her. She told her what happened. She told her how she had passed by a bar where drunks had given her a bad time. She told her how Katie was there. She told her how she died.


	10. Not Over Yet

Aiden stirred and his eyes fluttered opened. He looked around, unfamiliar with his surroundings. He tried to sit up and as a result felt a sharp pain in his gut. Then, he remembered where he was and what had happened. Only two days had passed since his incident with Katie but he still felt like crap. He looked around again searching for his parents. He found Melinda sleeping on the couch by his side. Jim was most likely working in this hospital. He scanned the room once again looking for Kathy. He couldn't find her. He just assumed that she had crossed over. After all, she was pretty much at peace now. The truth was out, Katie was going to be locked up for a while. What else could she want?

Once Aiden was sure that she had crossed over, he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. He started slipping into a peaceful sleep.

"Aiden" a voice said. Aiden groaned and opened his eyes, expecting his mother to be looking down at him. "Hey, sleepy" Kathy said to him. Aiden jumped up in shock and then groaned in pain and clutched his stomach.

"_Dammit_, Kathy!" he said. She simply laughed.

"Sorry. I had to come when Melinda was sleeping."

"Why?"

"Well... your dad kind of banned me from talking to you."

"What? Why?"

"Well... look at you? It's all my fault. Anyways, I just came here to say thank you. And that I'm sorry. Sorry you got hurt, sorry I troubled you so much. I caused a big mess."

"Don't be sorry" he said, thinking she would cross over now. He didn't want them to end on a bad not. "I got hurt because I didn't listen to you."

"Well... that's true..." she joked.

"So, I guess this is the last we'll see of eachother, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that. I mean, you might just see me walk down the street. Or just with Ally. It's not quite over yet."

"... aren't you going to cross over?"

"Why would I do that? Then Ally would be all alone."

"You don't belong here, Kathy."

"Well, that's a bit harsh."

"Kathy, you're... dead. You shouldn't be here."

"If Ally needs me, I'll be here. If she wants me gone, then I'll go. But right now, she's alone. There's no way I'm going to leave now. Not when she's like this."

"Kathy-"

"Shhh... your mom's waking up" and just like that, Kathy disappeared. Melinda looked up and smiled at Aiden

"Oh, hey. You're awake" Melinda said.

* * *

><p>Ally was finally let out of the hospital. So what was the first thing she did? She walked straight back in. She walked up the familiar stairs and through the corridor she knew so well and walked into another hospital room where her good friend lay.<p>

"Knock, knock" Ally said standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Ally. This is unexpected" Aiden said.

"Well... I heard what happened to you. What you did for Kathy. Thanks, I guess. For uncovering the truth, for believing in Kathy, and for just making me feel so much less guilty about... well... everything."

"You're welcome... I guess..." Ally walked up to him and sat down beside him. "If I ask you something, will you answer truthfully?" Aiden asked.

"You can always ask and find out" Ally said smiling.

"What happened? After the concert? How did Kathy really die?"

"She hasn't told you?"

"She _has_ told you? How?"

"She texted me." She said as if it were nothing. Aiden looked at her.

"Well?"

"Oh, right. Well... this is all what she told me... what she remembered.

"After she left us at the concert, she started walking home. And, yeah, she did pass by a bar fight. Only, they didn't kill her. She was walking by and they walked up to her and wanted to have some 'fun'. So they started pushing her around. She expected the worst at this point, but then they stopped. She looked around trying to find out what made them stop. She saw Katie there, trying to chase them away. She helped Kathy up and brought her up to her apartment.

"'_Here, put these on'_ Katie said. She handed Kathy a change of clothes. Kathy just stared at her. '_Well, you still need to walk home. Do you really want every single drunk guy on the street trying to harass you?_' Kathy took the clothes and changed.

"'_Thanks, Katie. Sorry I misjudged you_' Kathy said as she was walking out of the bathroom wearing the sweats Katie provided her with. '_...Katie? Katie what are you doing?_' she asked. Katie was holding a knife from a kitchen. Although it seemed pretty obvious what Katie had in mind, she still had to ask.

"'_Nothing. No. Obviously I'm doing something. No, I'm not going to do anything' _Katie put the knife down. Almost immediately she picked it back up. '_No, I have to. You don't understand, Kathy. Ally is the only person who hasn't treated me like crap. I don't want that to end. But you were going to tell her._' Kathy stared at Katie.

"'_Tell her that you're a druggie who's living on her own because her parents disowned her? YEAH! That's something Ally should know!_' Katie stared at her. Then stabbed her.

"'_The secret dies with you_.' She dragged Kathy back out to the street where she had saved Kathy and left her there. There were investigators, eye witnesses and everything. People said that they had seen a bunch of drunk men push her around. They also found glass in her wound and found that as the cause of death. So they concluded that it was a bar fight. The drunk men were even put under arrest for murder. They didn't remember their night, so as far as they knew, they had killed an innocent girl. And every one believed that.

"But now, the real killer is behind bars. Finally, justice is served." Ally sighed. "I don't understand how all this got so out of hand."

"Well, other than the fact that Katie was high twenty four seven, she was also pretty psychotic. Don't beat yourself up about it, Ally. It's not your fault."

"She killed her because of me. Of course it's my fault." A tear fell from her eyes. She quickly brushed it away.

"Don't think like that. It's not your fault."

"Let's just agree to disagree, okay?" Aiden couldn't do anything more than stare at her.

"There" Kathy said, reappearing, despite Jims wishes. "You see? This is why I _can't_ leave." Aiden looked at Ally again and for the first time _understood_ what Kathy meant. He looked between the two girls and finally realized the terrible truth.

This was not over.


	11. Farewells

Aiden spent two whole weeks trying. He really did. But it was simply impossible. He could not get the girls alone. Whenever he got the chance to speak to Kathy alone, Ally was close behind. Whenever he got a chance to talk to Ally alone, Kathy would appear. There was nothing he could do. So he went to get some help.

Melinda wasn't at all surprised to find that Aiden was still having contact with Kathy. She wasn't even mad. She just smiled and nodded.

"Honey, there's not much you can do here" she said. "You just have to work with what you got."

"And that would mean...?"

"If you get one of them alone, just talk to them about it. If the other appears they'll just have to deal with it. I mean, you're going to end up talking to them both together at some point. Might as well get it out of the way."

"No. You don't get it, mom. Kathy gets so mad whenever I try to talk to Ally about the whole crossing over business."

"What about Ally?"

"What about her?"

"Well, why don't you just talk to her about it. If Kathy reappears then she'll just have to deal with it."

"I tried that" Aiden said, wincing when he remembered how Kathy had reacted. Instead of simply asking him to stop she decided that the best way to solve that problem was by throwing every breakable object towards Aiden. If it hit him, tough luck. Of course, later on she apologized, saying she lost control of her anger.

"Well you're going to have to do it sooner or later. Might as well get it over with now."

* * *

><p>Ally was waiting for Aiden by her locker. It had been a week since Aiden was released from the hospital and this was the first time they were both at school at the same time for a very long time. Ally was, of course, glued to her phone. She was texting away, talking to Kathy. They were gossiping, talking about how Clara's hair cut looked awful. Or how Frank's new piercing was cool. It was as if Kathy was still alive and by her side.<p>

Suddenly, the phone was out of her hands. She was about to go into a rage. Then she looked up and saw Aiden holding her phone. She laughed and held her hand out, expecting the phone to drop back into it. But it didn't. Ally knew she should be listening to Aiden, but all she could do was stare at the phone. Without it, Kathy was gone.

"Ally we need to talk" Aiden said.

"Awh, are you breaking up with me again?" she asked jokingly but her eyes still never left the phone.

"Okay, a) you broke up with me. B) no. Not about that. It's actually about this" he held up her phone and Ally's eyes followed it. "You seriously need to stop being so dependent on it. You're going to end up killing yourself."

"What do you mean?" Aiden spoke quickly, afraid Kathy would show up at any moment and start throwing actual lockers at him.

"Kathy is _dead_. This relationship you have with your _phone_ isn't healthy. You need to stop. You need to let her go."

"Let her go? What do you mean?"

"She's only here because she's afraid you'll be alone."

"No she's not. She told me. This is what happens when you die. It's like you're alive only no one can see you."

"No... it's not. That's only what it's like for Earth Bound Spirits. Ghosts who have unfinished business."

"Well, then, let her finish her business. While she's doing that, I'll be here on the sidelines. To provide... moral support." She reached for her phone.

"You don't understand, Ally. _You_ are her unfinished business."

"Oh please! That's what you said about Katie. It's not true. Now if you don't mind, I have some very important plans." She reached for her phone again but Aiden pulled away.

"Will you _please_ for once in your life take me seriously? I'm not just talking about you or some silly little game you've invented. I'm talking about Kathy's happiness and your sanity." Ally slapped him across the face.

"It's not some 'silly little game'. It's me talking to my friend. A friend I haven't talked to in over a year. A friend that ended on the worst possible terms. Why is it that you have to be right? Don't you think that maybe we're _happier_ like this?" she whispered harshly. Then she took his moment of shock to her advantage and took back her phone.

"Ally! Please!" Aiden called after her, but she was glued back to her cell phone screen.

* * *

><p>It was three in the morning. Aiden was fast asleep. After tossing and turning for hours, Aiden was asleep. He had spent those past hours thinking about Ally. Thinking about the hole they had gotten themselves into and thinking of a way to get them out. Everything he did some how managed to result in something hitting him on the face.<p>

"AIDEN!" Kathy yelled so loudly that Aiden jumped out of bed.

"Dammit, Kathy!" he yelled in response.

"No jokes this time, funny boy! Why the _hell_ did you tell Ally all that?"

"All what?"

"That crossing over crap? We were _happy_! Do you know what that is? Do you know what it's like to finally be happy again?"

"Kathy, I had to tell her. You both will be happier if you-"

"Don't you dare! Don't you _dare_ say it! I'm staying _here_! Do you understand? I'm _not_ leaving!"

"The only way either of you will recover from this is if you move on. Neither of you can do that while you're still around all the time. "

"Well, if I'm around all the time there will be no need to move on, will there?" Aiden stared at her.

"for the millionth time, Kathy. You. Are. Dead. You cannot communicate to the living. What you're doing to Ally is just horrible! Do you really think this will never effect her? Do you really think that her having a dead ghost best friend is the best option at this stage?"

"If the only other option is that she will be alone, then yes!"

"But she won't be alone!"

"And who will she have?" Aidan said nothing, implying that he would be the one.

"You? Really? Please! Last time you tried that you let her down in a heart beat! _I_ would never do that!"

"Kathy-"

"Thanks for your help, Aiden. I appreciated it. But that's in the past. Do us all a favour. Back. Off." And she disappeared.

* * *

><p>Three weeks had passed. Three. Aiden was growing sick and tired of watching Ally constantly text Kathy. He was sick and tired of watching her grade slip because she was too busy talking to her new dead ghost best friend. He was sick and tired of watching all of this. He wanted it to end but every time he came close to Ally, Kathy was starting throwing things at him. He was never allowed to be with her again. Until finally, Ally found reason.<p>

"Aiden..." Ally whispered.

"Oh, no. Listen, I'm all for a chat and what not. But please, I have a huge headache. The last thing I need right now is books to be thrown at me" Aiden said and started to walk away.

"No. Aidan, listen. I need your help. You were right. This isn't healthy for me and this isn't making Kathy happy. She's not here right now, you can stop using your bag as a shield now. Now, will you help me?"

"Well, of course. That's why I've been here from the very beginning."

"But, I mean... even after. You won't just abandon me... right?"

"Of course not. You know all you ever had to do was ask and I'd be there for you." Ally smiled.

"Yeah. I know. So, meet me at my house today after school. I'm going to talk to her, convince her to leave."

"Well... why do you need me? If you're just going to talk?"

"You'll see."

* * *

><p>"Okay. I'm here" Aiden said walking to Ally. They were now in her backyard facing the fence that surrounded her house. "Why does this have to be so exclusive?"<p>

"I don't want the neighbours to think I'm a total freak" Ally said. Aiden laughed.

"I've passed that point a _long_ time ago." Ally smiled and closed her eyes.

"Kathy..." she whispered and sure enough, she appeared. "Kathy, I know you always appear when I simply utter your name. So I'm just going to assume you're here now. You need to do what's best for you now. And that is to cross over." Ally's phone buzzed. She took it out of her pocked and tossed it across the field. "Anything you want to say you pass through Aiden. That's the way it's going to be from now on."

"Tell her then" Kathy said bitterly to Aiden.

"She wants to know why you're suddenly... 'stabbing her in the back'" Aiden said quickly afraid of the consequences. Ally chuckled.

"I'm not. I'm trying to help you. And don't blame this on Aiden. He didn't influence any of my choices. I just think it's time for us to move on. I can't spend my life with a dead best friend. One day, I will join you. One day, I too will cross over. And when I do, we'll be together. But until then... we need to move on..." Aiden stared at Kathy, waiting for her next vicious attack. To his surprise, she simply looked at her.

"It's funny" she said. "I always told her that she needs to tell others how she feels more often or else she'll end up being used for everything."

"She says-" Aiden started saying.

"there's no need to tell her all of that." Kathy cut him off. "Just tell her that the only reason I'm still here is because I don't want her to be alone. There are so many people who say they'll stick with her forever who actually don't. I just want to be sure that she's alright."

"She wants you to be alright. She wants you not to be lonely. She wants you to be happy" Aiden paraphrased.

"I'll be fine. And I am happy. Of course, I'll miss you like _crazy_ but that doesn't mean I won't be okay."

"What about alone?" Kathy asked. "I don't want her to be alone. I'm not leaving if she's going to be alone."

"What about being alone? She won't leave If you're going to be alone" Aiden said. Ally simply smiled.

"Oh, Kathy. I'm not alone. I've never been alone. I just never knew it. I never knew that all I ever had to do was _ask_ and he'd be there" Ally was now looking straight at Aiden. She walked up to him and held his hand. Aiden pointed Ally into the right direction so she was facing Kathy. "I'm not alone." she repeated.

Kathy smiled at her friend. And then Aiden felt it. That warm feeling. The happiest feeling he ever felt. It made him feel so happy and so peaceful. He never wanted it to end. And that's when he realized, Kathy was finally seeing the light. After a whole year, she was finally crossing over.

"Kathy sees the light" Aiden whispered into Ally's ear. Ally started to cry. And soon after Kathy did too. Kathy ran up to Aiden and hugged him.

"You better take care of her, Aiden. I swear, if you don't, I will come for you!" Kathy said. "And my dear Ally... you better tell her how much she means to me. You better tell her every damn day." Aiden smiled and found that he had started to cry as well. Kathy had really grown on him.

"I will."

"Oh, God. I'm going to miss her so much! You tell her!" Kathy exclaimed as she started walking towards her light. "Tell her I'll be watching over her, okay? Tell her I love her! Tell her everything!"

"I will!" Aiden kept saying. Kathy waved one last time and she was gone. Aiden looked at Ally. "She crossed over." He said.

"So now... she's truly gone?" she asked. Aiden nodded and Ally finally cracked. She burst into tears. All the emotions she had felt before came pouring out in this single moment. All Aiden could do was hold her close to him.

And quite frankly, that was all Ally wanted from him.


End file.
